Support for electric conductors



July 17, 1923,

s. s. MATTHES SUPPORT FOR ELECTRIC CONDUCTORS Filed Nov. 25. 1922 Patented July l7, i923,

' I a sr SAMUEL s. MATTHES, OFMANSFIE-LD, onro, assrenon To THE onro Bness COMPANY, or MANSFIELD, OHIO, A CORPORATION or new JERSEY.

SUPPORT FOR ELIESTRIC CONDUCTQRS.

Application filed November 23, 1922. Serial No. 602,907.

Toall whom it may concern.

* Be it known that I, SAMUEL a citizen of the United States of America,

residing at Mansfield, in the county of Rich land and State of Ohio, have invented certainnew' and useful Improvements in Sup ports for Electric Conductors, or which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to overhead supporting devices for conductors and relates particularly to that class of devices known as insulated crossings in which two conductors may cross each other and maintained in insulated relation to each other.

My invention has for its object a device whereby a maximum amount of insulation may be secured between the conductors which cross each other and in adjacent relation to each other.

A device whereby two conductors crossing each other may beheld together in fixed and insulated relation to each other is old in the art, but in devices or this character thus far known to the applicant, the insulation between thetwo conductors is usually of wood, fibre, etc., and is not sutiicient, especially where the two conductors are of opposite polarity or the potential between them is reasonably high, without making the device large and clumsy which is a detriment in an overhead support of this kind on account of'the weight to, be suspended. \Vith my invention I am able to maintain as light a construction as mechanical reouirements will permit and increase to a very large degree the insulating factor between the two conductors, and this I bring about by introducinginto the path between the conductors air insulation which is much moreeflective than wood, fibre, etc, as an insulator. At the same time the mechanical strength of the device embodying my invention is maintained nearly as great as in a construction in which my invention is not involved. The mechanical strength, however, may be fully secured by a very slight increase in the weight, but such in crease in weight is very low compared to the increase of the insulation resistance which may be securedby incorporating my invention, whereby the leakage path over the surface of the woodor fibre between the conductors or the metallic attachments se cured thereto is greatly increased.

' invention resides in the new and novel S. Mivrtrnns, M

combination, construction and relation of the various parts hereinafter fully described and shown in the drawings.

in the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 shows a side view inelevation of an insulatorin which my invention is embodied.

Fig. 2 shows a top plan view of Fig.1.

Fig. 3 shows a view in section ofFig. taken on the line In my preferred construction I employ a member 1 of insulating material which may be oi wood, fibre, or other suitable. insulating substance and having the proper mechanical strength. To each end of the member 1 is secured a metal end member 2. These members are shown as secured to the member 1 by means of bolts and nuts 3. Each end memberfZ is provided with a clamping means 4 whereby the conductor 5 may be securely held in place in the end members 2. To the lower edge of the member l are narrow members 6'6 of insulating material which acts asa guide for apart of the distance of a current collector passing across the device in contact with the under side. Secured to the underside of the member l and intermediate the members 6-6 it a metallic pan 7 secured to the member 1 by means of the bolts and nuts 8 and which guides the current collector across the space between. the members 66 and provided with projecting arms 9 to which the conductor 10 is secured. It will be noted that the conductors 5 and 10 are continuous and also that the pan 7 is shown as fixed with respect to the member 1 although the pan ma 1 be arranged to swivel about itscenter desired. This latter construction is oldand well known in the art and forms no part of my invention. Thepan 7 and arms tlact as a guide for. the current collector passing underneath the device along the conductor 10 and in contact withthe lower surface of the device, and the pan 7 also permits the current collector to cross in the center of the device in passing along the conductor 5, the whole device constituting what is commonly known in the art as a trolley wire crossing and in the construction thus far described there is no claim for any new and novel features. l

The member-l is provided along its top edge with a longitudin al groove 12 in which member 1.

It has been found in devices of this class that the insulation between the conductors 5- and is not sufiicientto meet the requirements where the voltage between these wires is v500 or greater as the distance over the 7 surface of the member 1 from the conductor 5 1 and 3. it will be noted that with the slot.

5 to any part of the pan 7 is not sufiicient to prevent leakage of the electric current, and this is especially true in wet or damp weather. This leakage current is ,snflicient to char or carbonize the surface of the insulting member 1 if the same is formed of wood or other fibrous material and, therefore, to increase the insulating resistance between the conductor 5 and the conductor 10 or the pan 7, I introduce air resistance therebetween by means of the slot 14. This slot is shown in Fig. 3 as extending entirely through the member 1 in a transverse direction and for a considerable distance in .a longitudinal direction. The extent of the slot in the longitudinal direction depends upon the length of the pan member 7 or othermetallic parts which may be in electrical engage ment with the conductor 10. It will be noted in Fig' 1 that if the slot let were not pres cut the leakage distance would be across the surface of the member 1 from the conductor 5 to the lug 15 as indicated by the line B, but by observing the relation of parts in Figs.

14: the insulation resistance between the conductor 5 and the lugs 15 has been increased enormously. It will also be ObSElVQCltlltlb the surface insulation bet-ween the conductor 5 and any other part of the pan has been very greatly increased, or between the conductor 5 and the conductor 10., and this increase is dependent upon the length of the slot 14. At thesame time the mechanical strength of the member 1 has not been terially effected as the slot 14; need not be very wide. The nearer the slot is placed to the neutral axis the less the mechanical strength of the member 1 will be affected, at the same time not decreasing the insulating properties secured by the slot 14:.

The upper edge of the member, immediately below the conductor 5, might be cut out thereby interposing air resistance between the conductor .5 and the member 1 immediately below, and while this comes within the scope of my invention, it would reduce the mechanical strength of the insulating member-.1 materially, as in that case material would be removed which is farthest from the neutral axis and which, therefore, is of the greatest-benefit to the meahanieal strength in the member 1, but, as already explained, by interposing a slot 14: between the two conductors as shown, which is my preferredconstruction, and placing this slot as near the neutral axis as possible, very little material has been removed which offers strength to the member 1 and all of the ma terial above the slot 14 actsin compression and all of the material below the slot acts in tension.

There are no doubt. modifications of my invention which will. be evident to those skilled inthe art, therefore, I do not wishto be limited other than by my claims.

1. Thecombination of an. elongated sulating member, means to secure con.

ductorto each end of the member permit ting the conductor to pass along one edge in longitudinal relation thereto, means to secure a conductor to an opposite edge in transverse relation thereto and an elongated slot extending through said member and substantially along its longitudinal neutral axis between said conductors.

2. The combination of a pair of conductors spaced apart and transversely disposed to each other and means secured .to said conductors for maintaining them in separated and electrically insulated relation to each other, said means compris ng two solid electrical insulators and one air insulation in series in the ductors.

3. The combination with a cross-over com prising an insulating member to receive a conductor along one edge in longitudinal relation thereto and .a conductor along an .opposite edge in transverse relation thereto and meansto secure said conductors to such mem. ber, of an. elongated slot through said members between said conductors to increase the electrical resistance betweensaid conductors by the air medium within said slot.

4. In a cross-over provided with an insulating member adapted to receive a con- .direct path between the (onductor along its upper edge in longitudinal.

relation thereto and a conductor along its op posite-edge in transverse relation thereto, the combination therewith of means interposed between the upper and lower edges of the member to increase the electrical resistance thereof by a medium of air. p

5. In a cross-over provided with an insulating member adap ed to receive acenduc tor along one edgev in longitudinal i lation thereto and a conductor along the opposite edge in transverse relation. theneto, the'ctnr bination therewith of means interposed be tween said conductors and incorporated with said member .of greaterelectrical .LeSiStaaice than that of said membe .6. In. acrossaorer adapted to receive apair of conductors in crossed ela on and la ted from 'eaclr theriby an insulating me n= bar, the co bina n therewith ,Qf meanskf incorporating in said member air resistance to increase the resistance between said conductors.

7. In a cross-over adapted to receive a pair of conductors in crossed relation and insulated from each other by means of an insulating member, the combination therewith of means incorporated in said member to increase the insulation thereof between said conductors.

8. An insulated cross-over for a pair of conductors having a dilference of potential comprising an insulating member, means at each end of the insulating member to secure one of the conductors thereto and permit the conductor to pass along the upper edge of the insulating member, means secured to the insulating member to secure the other conductor thereto and a slot in the insulating member interposed between the two conductors to increase the resistance therebetween in excess of that provided by the insulating member.

9. An insulated cross-over for a pair of conductors having a diil'erenceof potential comprising an insulating member, means at each end of the insulating member to secure one of the conductors thereto and per mit the conductort-o pass along the upper surface of the insulating member, means secured to the insulating member to receive the other conductor and means interposed between the two conductors to increase the insulation between the conductors in excess of that provided by the insulating member.

10. An insulated cross-over comprising an elongated insulating member, means secured to each end of the member to receive a conductor and permit the conductor to pass along one edge of the member in longitudinal relation thereto, means to secure a conductor to the opposite edge in transverse relation thereto and an elongated slot through the member intermediate the conductors and extending a distance in both directions along the member from the transverse conduct-or.

11. An insulated cross-over comprising an elongated insulating member, means secured to each end of the member to receive a con (motor and permit the conductor to pass along one edge of the member in a longitudinal direction, means to secure a second to each end of the member to receive a conductor and permit the conductor to pass along one edge of the member in a longitudinal direction, means to secure a second conductorto the opposite edge of the member and means for increasing the length of the leakage path across the surface of the member between the first conductor and the holding means for the second conductor.

13. An insulated conductor crossover comprising an insulating member and a plurality of conductors secured thereto in insulated relation having in combination therewith means for increasingthe electrical resistance between the conductors without increasing the weight of the parts.

14. An insulated conductor cross-over comprising an insulating member and a plurality of conductors secured thereto in insulated relation and means for introducing in combination therewith air insulation to increase the electrical resistance between the conductors.

15. An insulated conductor cross-over comprising an insulating member and a plurality of conductors secured thereto in insulated'relation and having in combina tion therewith means for increasing the electrical resistance between the wires, both through and over the surface of the insulating member, without changing the over all dimensions of the insulating member.

16. An comprising an insulating member and a plurality of conductors secured thereto in insulated relation, having in combination therewith means for increasing the electrical resistance path between the conductors without increasing the distance between the conductors.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature,

SAMUEL S. MATTHES.

insulated conductor cross-over 

